OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA. 
101 
CARPOMITRA Kuetzing. 
Frond filiform, compressed, midribbed, irregularly dichotomous. Axis 
of the frond of three strata, an interior of smaller cells forming the midrib, 
an intermediate of larger cylindrical empty cells running longitudinally, 
an outer of minute coloured cells in a single layer. Fruit formed on the 
thickened apex of the midribs of the branches, mitriform, minutely 
capitate, having a densely cellular cylindrical central axis, round which 
branching horizontal articulated filaments are whorled. The lower joints 
of the filaments slender, the upper beaded, and the terminal oblately ellip- 
soidal contains minute bodies ( 1 antheridia) . Unilocular sporangia 
pedicellate, linear-eliptical, are borne towards the base of the whorled 
filaments. 
C a rpomitra mitrifo rmis . 
Tasmania, ? South Australia, and Victoria. New Zealand. Mediterranean. 
Family STILOPHORACEAE. 
STILOPHORA J. Agardh. 
Frond filiform, gelatinous-cartilaginous, irregularly branched. Struc- 
ture radial, growth apical. A central axis formed of 4 or 5 series of cells, 
all tending to the apical growing point; the cortex investing the axis 
parenchymatous of few layers. The frond clothed with tufts of olive-green 
assimilating filaments. Sporangia of two kinds, unilocular obovate or 
clavate, plurilocular filiform with locellae in a single row. 
Stilophora australis Harvey. 
Frond to 20 cm. high, 1 mm. thick. Stem elongate, carrying branches 
alternately and distichously to the apex. Sporangiferous warts elliptical, 
scattered. Olive-green. 
Encounter Bay, Victoria, Tasmania. 
Family CHORDARIACEAE. 
A rather ill-defined Family, an assemblage of very varied forms, which, 
however, agree in the possession of a markedly slimy thallus, in the forma- 
tion of both unilocular and plurilocular sporangia. Some have semiglobose 
thalli and others are lubricous erect thick worm-like fronds. The former 
group includes Corynophloea and Leathesia, both met with in South Aus- 
tralia, and the latter, Eudesme, Bactrophora , Cladosiphon , and Chordaria, 
which are not uncommon on the southern coasts of Australia, and Tasmania 
but have not yet been recorded from, South Australia. 
Of the rope or worm-like genera it will be sufficient to say that they 
consist of an axis of elongated colourless cells surrounded by a cortex of 
horizontally radiating branching coloured cells, which serve as assimilators, 
and among which are produced both unilocular and plurilocular sporangia. 
national herbarium cr victoria 
